Toy horse



`'Patented Mar. 6,1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, F TYRRELL, OHIO.

TOY HORSE.

l Application led VJune 29, 1925. Serial No. 40,130.

The object of this invention is to provide itself-propelled animalmounted upon wheels in such a manner that `when the rider bears hisweight upon the saddle the front and rear wheels of the animal arecaused to spread apart, and when the Weight on the saddle is releasedthe legs are' drawn together, causing the animal to move forward.

Another object of this invention is to provide the legs of the animalwith wheels provided with means for preventing a backward movementthereof so that the animal will have a positive forward movement uponeach downward movement ofthe saddle caused by the placing of the weightthereon. A further object of the invention is to provide means for`adjusting the spring which draws the legs together, and whereby thetension of the spring can be increased to insure the positive drawing ofthe legs together.

A still `further object of my invention is to provide a self-propelledtoy of this character in which the front legs and head of the animal.can be turned for guiding the saine.

In the accompanyingdrawings;- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my inven-`tion applied to a horse showing the body portion broken away to show thesaddle operating means.

Figure 2 is a detail plan view showing the connection of the upper endof the leg operating levers.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure1.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the main body of the horse,or other animal, which is provided with a head 2, having a neck portion3 made separate and of an external diameter less than the body portion,and which is adapted to telescope within the body portion and leaving aspace between the same. The neck portion of the horse extends down tothe point A asshown by a line indicating where the neck ends. Carriedbythe body portion 1 of the animal are the hind legs 9Awhich are carriedthe yoke member which is pivoted at 17 within the body of the animal andits forward end provided with a slot 26 through which passes the rod 24.The front legs of the animal as indicated at 8 are opposite the neck 3of the animal and are carried by the yoke shaped member 16, which ispivoted at 18 ,within the neck portion of the horse and saidyoke member16 at its upper end is provided with a transverse slot Q5 through whichthe rod 24 passes.

The rod 24, as shown in Figurev 1 of the drawings, is carried by thesaddle 14 and extends downwardly through the slots `25 and 26 and passesthrough the cup shaped member 20 carried at the lower end of the bodyportion. The lower end of the i'od 24 below the cup shaped member 2O isscrew threaded as indicatedV at 21 and upon which is screwed theadjusting nut 23, whereby the rod may be raised and lowered for ,apurpose hereinafter more fully described. Surrounding the rod 24 is acoil spring V19 which has its lower end bearing against the upper faceof the cup shaped member 20, and its upper end bearing against the plate21 which surrounds the rod and which in turn bears against the upper endof the yoke 16. The front legs 8 have mounted therein rollers l() on theshaft 12', and provided with l Y ratchet teeth on one side thereofadapted to be engaged by the pawl 13 which prevents any backwardrotation of the wheels 1G. The hind legs 9`have the wheels 11 mounted onthe shaft 12 and the pawl 13 engaging the ratchet teeth carried by theside of the Wheels to prevent any backward movement thereof. The body 1of the horse has rigidly secured thereto bolts or rivets 6 and flat bars4 and 5 which extend forwardly into the neck portion of the animal. Theneck portion 3 is provided with transverse plates 27 adj aceiit itsupper end and with the transverse plates' 28 adjacent its lower end, andbetween which the bars 4 and 5 extend. Passing loosely througlithe bars4, and 5, and plates 27 and 28 is vthe rod 7, forming a pivot wherebythe neckportion 3 may be turned thereon, and due to the transverse slot25 the yoke may be turned toy allow theA neck and front legs to turnwithin the bod portion, whereby the animal may .be guide From theforegoing Vdescription it will be seen that when the weight of the rideron the saddle 14 forces'the rod 24 downwardly and engages the yokes 15and 16 they are likewise forced downwardly against the tension of thespring 19 and the hind legs 9 of the animal are prevented from moving,due to the pawl 13', but the front legs 8 are `'moved forward and thewhole animal has a 4tilting action or more of a squatting action.

lVhen the weight of the rider is removed from the saddle 14 the coilspring 19 forces the yokes 15 and 16 upwardly. The front wheels l0 areprevented from moving backward and the rear wheels 1l move forwardcausing the animal to have a forward rising action to assure theposition shown in Figure l of the drawings.

vWhen it is desired to steer the animal the rider moves the neck portion3 either to the rightor left causing the same to swing on the pivot 7carrying' With it the yoke lli which in turn carries the legs 8, andcausing the animal to be guided to either the right or left.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim isrl. Aself-propelled toy comprising a body portion in the iorm ot' an animal,four legs pivoted to the body portion, a wheel carried by each leg,means lor preventing the backward rotation ot the wheel, lneansoperating by the weight. ot' the rider `tor spreading the t'ront andrear legs apart, and spring means l'or drawing the legs together whenthe weight oi the rider is removed from the opf erating means.

2. A self-propelled toy comprising a body portion in the form of ananimal, `t'ront and rear legs arranged in pairs and pivoted to the bodyportion, wheels carried by the lower ends of each ot' the legs, meansfor preventing the backward rotation ot' the wheels, a saddle, meansoperated by the downward movement olE the saddle for spreading the frontand hind legs apart, and spring means tor drawing the legs together whenthe weight is removed from the saddle.

3. A self-propelled toy comprising a body portion in the lform of ananimal, front and rear legs pivoted to the body portion, a wheel carriedby the lower end of each leg, means lor preventing the backward rotationolf the wheel, a saddle carried by the body portion and adapted toengage the legs beyond their pivotal connection with the body portion'for spreading them apart, and spring means for drawing the legstogether when the weight is removed Atroni the saddle.

31. A selt-propelled toy comprising a body portion in the form ot ananimal, two intermediately pivoted yokes carried by the body portion andcarrying legs at their lower ends, a wheel carried by thc lower end ofcach leg, means for preventing the backward rotation of the wheels, asaddle adapted to engage the upper ends of the vokes and toreing themdownwardly spreading the legs, and spring means for forcing the upperends of the yokes upwardly when the weight is removed from the saddle.

5. A self-propelled toy comprising a body portion in the form of ananimal, two yokes intermediately pivotcd within the body portion andcarrying at their lower ends the Vlront and hind legs of the animal, awheel carried by the lower end of each leg, means for preventing thebackward rotation of the wheels. a saddle carrying a rod passing throughslots in the upper ends ol' the yokes. said saddle adapted to engage theyokes and force them downwardly spreading the legs apart, and a coilspring surrounding the rod and engaging the yokcs tor forcing the yokcsupwardly ior drawing the lfront and hind legs together.

(i. A self-propelled toy comprising a body portion, a neck portionpivotally mounted on a vertical pivot within the body portion, a yokeintermediatcly pivted to the body portion and carrying the hind legs olthe animal, a wheel carried by each ol' the legs, means lor preventingthe backward rotation oli' the wheel, a yoke intermcdiately pivoted tothe neck portion, front legs carried by the yoke, a wheel carried byeach ofthe front legs, means Ator preventing the backward rotation oilsaid wheels, and a saddle adapt ed to engage the upper ends of the yokcsbeyond their pivots l'or forcing the same downwardly for spreading thelegs, and spring means l'or l'orcing the yokes upwardly and forcing thelegsl together.

7. A self-propelled toy comprising a body portion, a neciY portionpivoted within the body portion on a vertical pivot, a yoke pivoted tothe body portion and carrying at its lower end the hind legs of theanimal, wheels carried by the hind legs, means for preventing therotation o'l said wheels, the upper end of the yoke having a transverseslot; therein, a saddle carried by the body portion, a rod carried bythe saddle passing downwardly through the longitudinal and transverseslots in the yokes, and a coil spring surrmiuding the rod and having itslower end bearing against; the body portion and its upper end againstthe yokes, whereby the weight ol the saddle forces the upper ends olEthe yokes` downwardly spreading the legs apart, and the spring forcingthe upper ends ol the yokes upwardly and forcing the legs together.

I'n testimony whereotI l allix my signature.

ALEXANDER oAMPBELL.

